Sister, Sister
by LadyAlambiel
Summary: Sister, sister...even a disagreement between royal sisters can be solved on the beach.


Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't...

Summary: Sister, sister...even a disagreement between royal sisters can be solved on the beach.

A/N: This oneshot is set in my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe, but it can be read as a standalone. The name, Dione, is pronounced "dee-OH-nee."

A/N2: So, WillowDryad and I had so much fun doing our Random Word Challenge that we decided to get together again for a proper challenge fic. The challenge was to write a story using with the following opening sentence, three elements, and closing sentence: "You have lost your mind." A very small creature, sewing, submersion, and "Their resulting argument echoed through the halls of the Cair." This is what I dreamed up using those guidelines, which is set in the Pre-Winter years of Narnia. Be sure to check out Willow's response to the challenge, _After a Fashion_! Enjoy!

**Sister, Sister**

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"You have lost your mind."

"Dione!"

"Swan, please! You cannot simply reassign guards without even asking me if I am amenable to it!"

Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears as her older sister continued with her needlework, unperturbed by either her outburst or their mother's admonishing call. Oh, to be sure, there was a glimmer of sympathy in Swanwhite's blue eyes, but there was an unyielding edge in her voice that indicated she would not be moved. "I am sorry, Dione, but Eurytion chose to retire from army life and you needed a new personal guard."

Dione shook her head vigorously, uncaring of how the carefully tamed black curls now tumbled freely about her face and shoulders, as she protested once more. "But, Lieutenant Argeius? Swan, if you wanted to reward him, why not promote him to captain?" A quick bitter thought flashed through her mind and left her lips before she could stop it, "Maybe you are simply going along with it because Lev suggested it."

Their mother dropped her own needlework. "Dione! That is quite enough. If your father were here, he would-"

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes at the reminder of her father, but Dione stubbornly lifted her chin, interrupting her mother. "If he were here, Swan wouldn't be queen and I wouldn't be plagued by Lieutenant Argeius."

Her mother's silver eyes took on a gimlet glint. "Do not dishonor your father's memory by showing disrespect to your sister, Dione. You may be a princess but she is the Queen now. Do you understand?"

Shame brought heat to her cheeks as Dione bowed her head, "Yes, Mother." Turning back to face her older sister, who was still steadily stitching away at a half-finished portrayal of the Harvest Festival, she swept a courtly curtsey even her mother would find flawless. "Please forgive my outburst, Your Majesty. I fear I am no longer up to the task of being a good companion, so I shall take my leave." Spinning on her heel, Dione fled the room, her black skirts billowing in her wake.

Walking as swiftly as she could without raising the guards' alarm, she kept her head down as she fought to restrain the tears. She was a member of the royal family; she couldn't be seen wandering around Cair Paravel weeping. Still, it was hard. Swan didn't seem to realize Eurytion had to wake her five or six times a night to free her from the nightmarish memories of witnessing their father's death and now she didn't even have the comfort of the old Satyr's soothing words that she had done everything…everything she could to stop the bleeding. The memories crashed into her and she bent her head further, she just had to get out of the Cair. Moving more swiftly, she mumbled an apology when she accidentally trod on a Cat's tail. Still she did not so much as glance up until she ran into one of the Centaurs. She looked up, already mumbling an incoherent apology, but her vision was so blurred by her tears now that the Centaur could have been anyone. She just had to get away from everyone for a while.

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Swanwhite tapped lightly on her sister's door as she called softly, "Dione?" She heard nothing, not the scratch of a quill against parchment or any other sign that her younger sister was inside her chambers, but maybe she was sleeping or merely pretending to be asleep so she would leave her alone. Opening the door, she scanned the sitting room but it was empty and Dione's bed was neatly made so she obviously had not returned.

A tiny voice whispered in her ear, "Your Majesty?"

She turned to see a Hummingbird floating in front of her, his shiny feathers making him appear a hovering jewel. "What is it?"

"Lieutenant Argeius sent me to bring you to where your sister has hidden herself."

_Oh Dione…_ Inclining her head slightly, Swanwhite murmured. "Please lead the way."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Hummingbird led her out of the palace and through Cair Paravel's gates, her personal guard falling in behind them before she had taken more than a step beyond the walls, and on down the beach. She hurried to keep the tiny Bird in sight as he led her until they'd passed the docks and, finally, the young Centaur Lieutenant was in view. He bowed. "Your Majesty. My thanks, Zufeet, you may continue with your other duties."

As the Hummingbird zipped off, looking like a sparkling jewel until he vanished, Swanwhite met the Lieutenant's gaze and uttered only two words. "My sister?"

The Centaur pointed to a rocky outcropping butting against the Eastern Sea. "She climbed up there an hour past, Your Majesty." He hesitated then added, "She was in great distress when she bumped into me in the Cair. I thought you should know."

Swanwhite nodded, narrowing her eyes against the wind buffeting around them and threatening to snatch her hair from its subdued braided and pinned style. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Please, pull the soldiers back, I wish to have a private conversation with my sister."

He bowed once more. "Aye, Your Majesty."

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Dione rested her head on her knees, letting the wind dry the tears that stained her cheeks and toss and tangle her long black wavy hair as she watched the waves rise and fall, sometimes crashing against the rocky outcropping and sometimes merely merging back into the sea. A familiar voice sang out from somewhere behind her. "Deeohnee! Oh, Deeohnee!"

She didn't answer. She wasn't sure she wanted to see anyone, not even Swan. A light touch to her shoulder caused her to jump and she clamped both hands over her mouth to prevent the scream from slipping free. "Oh, Dione, forgive me. I did not mean to startle you."

Dione swiped at any stray tears that might not be mistaken for the spray of the ocean then peeked over her shoulder at Swanwhite. Her sister wasn't wearing her crown anymore and, if she could ignore the unrelieved black of her sister's silk dress, she almost looked like the same older sister who used to spend an hour every day playing with her, even if it was only a race up and down the beach. Swan crouched on the rock next to her, her skirts billowing as they flared out to drape over the rock, veiling its surface. Her sister wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a hug. "I am sorry, Dione, that I did not break the news to you sooner. I know Eurytion has always been important to you."

"I am sorry too, Swan, I should not have had a tantrum. I am not a child anymore."

"Sixteen is not an easy age either, Onie. It's only been a month since the hunting accident." She couldn't stop the flinch that accompanied the image of their father lying on grass, bleeding of the injuries the wild boar had given him because her arrow had missed its target, while she frantically tried to stop the bleeding while some Squirrels went to alert the rest of the hunting party. Her older sister's arms tightened around her. "Forgive me, Onie, I should not have brought it up. But, there is something I want you to understand as well. Lev, I mean, Sir Lev is not-"

Dione felt another flash of shame as she quickly sat up, causing Swanwhite to break off. She grabbed her sister's hands and squeezed. "I never should have said that. I know better than that, Swan, really I do. You are not the sort of Queen who would let someone, not even someone you are fond of, dictate your decisions. I was so surprised that you had Eurytion retire that I spoke in haste."

Swan's expression changed again, softening into clear sympathy. "Oh my dear little Onie, I did not retire Eurytion. He stepped down of his own resolve. Father had mentioned two years ago that Eurytion was looking to retire from his duties when he found a suitable replacement who would protect you, but he never mentioned it again. I was as surprised as you were when Eurytion came to me yesterday and requested to retire. I was also surprised at _his_ choice in replacement, but I am beginning to see why he handpicked Lieutenant Argeius to become the new head of your personal guard."

"Eurytion did this to me?" She huffed, "But, the Lieutenant is so humorless! Not even a Jackdaw's joke earns so much as a smile from him. Lion's Mane and Whiskers! Why would Eurytion appoint Lieutenant Argeius to be my personal plague?"

Her sister smiled and laughed lightly. "I suspect because he trusts the Lieutenant will not allow your formidable temper to interfere with your protection."

Dione simply huffed again as she rose to her feet. Then, she let out a surprised shriek as Swan pushed her off the rock. Submerged beneath the waves, she swiftly kicked her way back to the surface. Swanwhite surfaced a moment later, grinning mischievously. The sisters stared at each other for a long moment as one of the Gryphons flew low overhead before banking back toward the beach. Then, Dione splashed her sister in the face. "Cheater! I wasn't ready!"

Swan coughed then laughed. "What an excuse for the daughter of a Nereid!" She lunged forward and shoved Dione back under the waves. The sisters laughed, played, and splashed each other until the sun began to descend behind the western horizon. Giggling, they walked arm in arm back to the Cair, carrying their ruined slippers in their free hands and trailing seawater in their wake.

Just as they entered the palace, Dione leaned toward her sister and whispered, "It did not escape my attention that you did not vehemently protest your fondness for Sir Lev this time, Swan."

A blush stained Swanwhite's cheeks as she brushed some dripping locks of hair behind her ear and hissed, "I am not fond of him."

"You're the one who appointed him your champion. You must be somewhat fond of him." She snickered at the look of outrage on her older sister's face.

Then Swan's expression turned serene as she whispered, "By your reasoning, dearest sister, I must conclude that you are extraordinarily fond of that rather hideous excuse for poetry the Terebinthian ambassador's nephew composed especially in your honor. You remember, the one he read before the entire court the day after your birthday? I think I should send one of the pages to let him know you delighted in that sonnet so much that you should like to hear it again during supper tomorrow." Their resulting argument echoed through the halls of the Cair.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my interpretation for Swanwhite's family. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.**

**ATTENTION!**

**Attention anyone who is a member of the Narnia Still Lives forum! The nominations for the Narnia Still Lives Fanfic Awards 2013 are underway. Please nominate those stories and authors who stood out with their writing in 2013 and should win one of the awards. Nominations close March 1st. And remember anyone can join the forum, only an introduction is required, and then make your nominations. **

**Full details can be found at the Narnia Still Lives Forum (the top forum when one clicks on The Chronicles of Narnia forums) under Honoring the Heroes: Nominating for the 2013 Fanfic Awards thread.**

**Lady Alambiel **

**Awards Coordinator**


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